Running board for motor vehicles



l. FRIEDLAENDER RUNNING BOARD FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed sept. 14, 1925 U1 l., H

moagmxnon BY l 14.444

ATTORNEY Y -wm HF March 16 1926.

Patented Mar. A16, 1926.

UNITED sTATss ISADOR LEO FRIEDLAENDER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

RUNNING 'BOARD .FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Application filed September for Motor Vehicles, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description ofthe same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being-had to the accompanyingr drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My inventionrelates to a running board for motor or other vehicles, shown in the accompanying drawings and more particularly described'in the following specification and claims.

It is well known in the automobile industry that when the running boards of motor vehicles are keptV in stock in large quantities, priorto installation upon the vehicles, they are apt to warp and get out of shape to such an extent that it becomes necessary to discard a large percentage of the output manufactured for that reason.

The primary object, therefore, of this invention is to construct a running board that will maintain its shape indefinitely even though not attached to the supporting `brackets of a vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to construct a running boar-d which is relatively light and strong and one which will' not sag or lose its shape under a heavy load and which is so constructed that it cannot warp either transversely or longitudinally, whether attached to the supporting brackets of a vehicle or not.

With the foregoing and other objects in view and which will appear as the description proceeds the invention further resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes may be made in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from `the spirit of the same.

In the drawings accompanying this specilication: Y

Figure l is a plan view of a ruiming board constructed of laminated wood and strengthened by diagonally disposed dovetailed cleats concealed between the laminaethe respective wood courses being broken i4, 1925. semi No. 56,274.

away in order to disclose the layer immediately beneath the partremoved. Figure 2 isa longitudinal vertical sectional view through the running board.

Figure 3 is a transverse or cross-sectional view taken on or about line 3 3 of Figure l.

Referring now to the letters of reference placed upon the drawings:

A, denotes a running board of usual shape comprising a lower course of longitudinally disposed strips B, respectively connected together by a tongue or groove joint b.

C, indicates diagonally disposed dove-tail cleats lodged in correspondingly shaped grooves formed in the lower course of strips A-the upper surface of the cleats being flush with the latter. Y

D, indicates an overlapping course of strips-having a ship-lap joint cZ-eXtending transversely to the strips A, and glued or otherwise secured thereto.

E, E, represent another course of strips-- also provided with a ship-lap j oint-extendingV longitudinally and overlapping the transverse strips D, D, to which they are glued-the strips E, E, are however ypreferably wider or narrower than the strips B, B, employed in the lower course that their longitudinal joints may not be -in line with those in the first or lower course of strips.

F, denotes a covering of linoleum, rubber or other suitable tread, glued or lcemented to the upper course, and Gr indicates the usual metallic binding strip secured to the edge of the ruiming board and overlapping the thread. y

H, H, designate holes at the end of the running board to receive the bolts employed to attach the niudguards-not sho'Wn-to the running board.

I, represent holes in the running board to receive bolts for attaching the board to the usual supporting brackets-not shown-secured to the chassis. Y

It will now be seen that the diagonally disposed cleats C, stiffen the ruiming board against any tendency to warp transverselywhile the several laminas extending in different directions, as they do, insures the running board against warping either'longitudinally or transversely.

While the drawing shows a rumiing board constructed of three separate layers glued together it is obvious that any desired number of lamina may be employed ,-so also the transverse boards E, E, may run either at `right :ingles to the adjacent layer et boards or at any other angle desired.

The transverse cleats used to stillen and give rigidity to the running' board are eon sealed between the respective lamina. in order to give a neat appearance and to protect the cleats against the entry of moisture along the line ot' the groove in which they are lodged und the adjacent wall.

Attention is also directed `to the filet that the running` board on its underside presents a smooth unln'olaen surtace-the tongue and groove joints ot the boards etlcrtually pre ventingV the entry ot moisture.

lVhile a rniniingh)` board is shown constructed ol laminated boards in which is en'ibedded av j ilurelity of transverse dovetailed eleiits, it will be obvious that :l single thickness board may be employed with `diagonal grooves to reeeire e plurality of cleatswthe grotnes being; preferably on the upper side o L' the board that the cleats may be concealed by the usual linoleunl tread secured to the running board.

Thile any number ot' diagonally disposed cleats may be employed I prefer that it sutieient number of cleats be used so that the forward end of each cleat on one edge of the running board will be in staggered or overn lapping `relation with the rear 'end of the adjacent cleat on the opposite edge of the running board.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a device of `the character described, a running board, comprising a plurality ot longitudinally disposed jointed strips, a plurality of overlying transversely disposed jointed strips glued to said first named strips, u further plurality oil twerlyingl 'longitudinirlly "disposed jointed strips glued to the adjaeen't strips, and a pluriility et' diagonally "disposed Concealed cleats lodged in grooves between the layers of stri-ps, forining in all i1x single unit running boaird.

2. In e deviee of the character described, a running 'board provided with a plurality `ot diagonally disposed grooves extending transversely across said board, and a plural` ity of cleats lodged in 'said grooves, the forward end of each eleat on one edge of the boardoverlapping the rear end of the edja cent cleat on the opposite edge of the running board.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specilication.

lSADOR LEO FRIEDLAENDER. 

